Illuminating apparatus



No. 608,745.. Patented Aug. 9, [8918.

' L. B. ALLEN.

ILLUMINATING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Fab. 3, 1896.)

(No Model.)

R i Mm" STaTns LESLIE B. ALLEN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ILLUMINATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,745, dated August9, 1898 Application filed February 3, 1896. Serial No. 577,955. (I Iomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, LESLIE B. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of S pringfield,I-Iampden county, Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminating Apparatus,of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of illuminatingsystems in which hydrocarbon is used, the same being provided in aservice-tank and automatically fed to the lamp or lamps as required toreplenish them as the oil therein is consumed in burning.

In the class of apparatus to whichthis invention pertains the principaldifficulty has been found to consist in the accumulations of air in thepipe which feeds the lamps with oil, which prevents the perfectoperation of siphonage after the lamps have been run awhile; Various'expedients have been devised for overcoming the effects of the airaccumulations, some of which have been put into use, with fairly goodresults. Still the objection of complexity, cumbrousness, andexpensiveness has always existed, and therefore it is the purpose of thepresent invention to provide a lamp-supplying system or apparatus whichshall be most simple, inexpensive, and easy of establishment andoperation and one in which only the simplest and most commoninstrumentalities are employed; and to this end the invention consistsin the constructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts withrespect to their cooperative effects, all substantially as willhereinafter fully appear, and be set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which thepresentimprovelnents are illustrated, Figure 1 being an elevation withparts in section, showing the lamp system as arranged for successfuloperation. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of parts located in theservice-tank on a large scale. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of an improved adjustable bracket orfixture which may be advantageously used in conjunction with the presentimprovements. Figs. 5 and 6 are front and edge views of said fixture.Fig. 7 is a view in elevation and vertical somewhat similar to Fig. 1,but showing a reversal in the arrangement of the pump, which, however,as will be perceived hereinafter, is no departure from this invention.Fig. Sis a vertical sectional view, on a large scale, showing a valveapplied in the telescopic portion of the branch which'conveys the oil tothe lamp or lamps.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

In the drawings, A represents the servicetank, which is supportedsuitably at about the level at which the lamp is desired. In practice alarge number of lamps are comprised in the system; but it is not herenec essary to illustrate or refer to themin plurality further than maybe incidentally done. 13 represents apump locatedin theservicetank, andthis pump has connected therewith the feed-pipe O, which leads upwardlyto or near the ceiling, and thence has a course horizontally, returningin the return member 0 and depending branch 0 of service-tank, the endof this branch 0 being necessarily submerged in the oil in said tank.The feed-pipe has the depending branch D, over which telescopes the pipeF, which at the outer end has the branch or member F horizontallysupported, on which the lamp or lamps Gare mounted. The portion of thefeed-pipe O which is submerged in the oil in the servicetank has aninlet-port a, through which to take oil directly from the said tank.This port a has applied thereat a cock or equivalent device (indicatedat b) for closing it. i In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 this closing device isindicated as a sleeve 10,which fits over the pipe 0 closely and whichhas the perforation 12 therein, which may by the turning of the sleevebe either placed to register with said port a orturne'd out of registrytherewith to close the port. The sleeve has the radial projection 13,whereby by the use of a rod or other implement to turn the sleeve.

The oil-level in the lamps is to be automatically maintained at the samelevel as the top of the oil in the service-tank A, and this is done onthe well-known siphon principle, for with the feed-pipe fullof oil, asalso the telescopic branch leading to the lamps, so soon as the oil inthe lamp-founts falls below the normal oil-level (indicated by thedotted lines at as) the lamp branch becomes the long leg of the siphon,whereupon the replenishment is effected. Tank H is a supply-reservoirand tank J is an overflow-receptacle to which piped leads from an upperportion of the service-tank A. Under a well-known principle the oil intank A is maintained up to the normal level automatically as suppliedfrom the closed tank II. The horizontal portion C of the return-pipe ispreferably just above the horizontal portion of the feed-pipe 0. Hencethe accumulations of air will naturally ascend into said upper portion.

At intervals, as indicated at 1 pipe connections may be made between thehorizontal portion of the feed-pipe and the portion O of the return-pipethereabove for facilitating the aforementioned clearance of the air.Where the telescopic vertical tube F joins the horizontal tubular memberon which the lampfount is carried a valve (indicated at w) isapplied,.which when the telescopic member is up to the position formaintaining the lamps at the oil-level a: is held open, (see Fig. 8,)but which when the telescopic tube member is lowered closes theoil-passage through the depending branch D and prevents the same fromflowing to the lamps to run the latter over. No novelty is believed toexist in this description of valve; but its provision or the provisionof an equivalent device is very desirable in this apparatus to render itsafe and practical.

Now with respect to Fig. l of the drawings, to place the apparatus incondition for lighting, the oil being in the service-tank up to thenormal level, the telescopic member F is lowered, whereby the lower endof depending branch D is closed. The port a in the feedpipc below theoil is closed, and the pump B is operated filling the continuous pipe 6O O and the depending branch D. The port a is then opened, thetelescopic pipe F and lamps raised, opening the valve at w, whereuponthe lamp-founts fill with oil up to the level of oil in tank A, and theillumination may be assured.

Now, again, to rid the undue accumulation of air in the pipes O C C thesame operations are repeated-lamps lowered, port a closed, and the pumpoperated-whereupon the circulation of solid oil through the pipes willdrive the air down pipe member 0 into the service-tank, up from thebottom of which it will bubble and escape to the atmospheric air. InFig. 7 substantially the same idea of means is employed, there being areversal in the application and mode of operating the pump B", whichhere is understood as being a suction-pump. Here the suction-pump isapplied at the end of the return member of the feed-pipe, the outgoingmember of the feed-pipe merely requiring to be submerged in. the oil andnot requiring an opening-andclosing cock or port therein. The siphoneffect is had between the lamp G and the vertical portion of thefeed-pipe O by way of the depending branch D and horizontal portion ofthe feed -pipe, as before, and the pump never becomes a factor in theoperation of the apparatus except preparatory to establishing theconditions for illumination and once in several weeks, when the airclearance is to be effected. In Fig. 7 a wallbracket is shown, on whichthe depending telescopic pipe-section F and the horizontal arm F whichforwardly supports the lamp away from the wall, is adjustably mounted.This bracket M consists of the wall-plate f, through which are screws tosecure it to the wall, the forwardly-standing vertical dovetail rib g,the shelf-like part h, which is horizontal and which has the dependingmember 7L2, which embraces and may slide on said dovetail rib, and theconfining-screw j.

lVhen it is required to lower the lamps for the purpose before referredto, by loosening the set-screw the movable part of the bracket slidesdownwardly, carrying with it the telescopic tube F and branch and lampthereon, and the set-screw may be temporarily tightened again to holdthe movable parts as lowered.

I claim 1. In a lighting system, the oil-service tank, a lamp, anoil-feed pipe running continuously from the tank upwardly, thenhorizontally over and beyond the lamp, having a returnbend and acontinuation therefrom back to and terminating within the tank, adepending branch pipe, between the said return-bend and the tank, whichconnects the feed-pipe with the lamp, and a pump connected to thefeed-pipe for causing at pleasure a flow of oil from the tank throughsaid feed-pipe back to the tank for expelling air accumulations in saidpipe, the oil for the lamp being taken directly from the oil-servicetank through the pipes O, O, D, substantially as described.

2. In a lighting system, the oil-service tank, a lamp, an oil-feed piperunning continuously from the tank upwardly, then horizontally over andbeyond the lamp, having a returnbend and a continuation therefrom backto and terminating within the tank, a depending branch pipe between thesaid return-bend and the tank which connects the feed-pipe with thelamp, and provided with a valve for cutting oif the connection betweenthe feedpipe and lamp, and a pump connected to the feed-pipe for causinga flow of oil from the tank through said feed-pipe back to the tank, forexpelling air accumulations in said pipe, the oil for the lamps beingtaken directly from the oil-service tank through the pipes C, O, D, forthe purpose set forth.

3. In an oil-supplying device, in combination an oil-tank, an oil-fount,a siphon adapted to carry oil by siphonic action from said tank to saidfount, a pump adapted to create a flow my invention I have signed myname, in presof oil through said siphon, and an oil-carrying enoe of twoWitnesses, this 28th day of J anureturn-pipe connecting the outer end ofthe ary, 1896.

snbstantially horizontal portion of said siphon LESLIE B. ALLEN. 5beyond its outer leg with said tank, substan- WVitnesses-z tially asdescribed. 7M. S. BELLOWS,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as H. M. BELLOWS.

